Archie Paice:
Hullo All, I have just learned the details of Cliff Leader’s Funeral. The Service will be held on Friday 9th Feb, at 10 a.m., at Oakworth Crematorium. This is about 2 miles from Keithley, West Yorkshire. R.I.P CLIFF LEADER.
Hi Archie,
I have to take my very sick wife to hospital for her weekly heart check on Fridays so I won’t be able to get over to the funeral.
I have it on good authority that a few chaps from our area, ex Bowker men, will be going and Billy Howarth will be with them.
Hullo Russ, I’m not able to go along either, as at the moment I am in New Zealand. But for those that are going, the Address is Wide Lane, Oakworth, Keighley. Bradford. BD22 ORL. Give my regards to Billy when you do see him, although he probably won’t remember me. Cheers, Archie.
Archie Paice:
Hullo All, I have just learned the details of Cliff Leader’s Funeral. The Service will be held on Friday 9th Feb, at 10 a.m., at Oakworth Crematorium. This is about 2 miles from Keithley, West Yorkshire. R.I.P CLIFF LEADER.
Archie Paice:
Hullo All, I have just learned the details of Cliff Leader’s Funeral. The Service will be held on Friday 9th Feb, at 10 a.m., at Oakworth Crematorium. This is about 2 miles from Keithley, West Yorkshire. R.I.P CLIFF LEADER.
Hi Archie,
Should the date be Fri 9th Mar?
Hullo “Jakdaw”, Wow ! I’m sorry, yes I think you are correct. When I got the message it just said it was on Friday the 9th, I never thought to check on my calendar, but yes 9th, Feb Was a Thursday and 9th, March. is as you have so rightly pointed out a Friday. I appologise to everybody for this error, I shall of course confirm this with my informant. Although I will have to do it tomorrow as we are half a day ahead here. SORRY TO EVERYONE FOR WHAT LOOKS LIKE A COCKUP? Cheers, Archie.
There were five old Bowker men from Accrington area went and Jack Birchall, (who was a very good mate of Cliff) came up from Torquay.
I was told there wasn’t as many old drivers as expected but how many are still left who worked with Cliff. The ones who are still alive must be pensioners. I had hospital appointments with my wife so didn’t make it.
Tankerman:
There were five old Bowker men from Accrington area went and Jack Birchall, (who was a very good mate of Cliff) came up from Torquay.
I was told there wasn’t as many old drivers as expected but how many are still left who worked with Cliff. The ones who are still alive must be pensioners. I had hospital appointments with my wife so didn’t make it.
Russell.
Hullo Russ, Thank you for answering my question. I is really good to know that five of his old friends from Bowkers were there, I hope that there may have been some of the MAT men also, though I do believe that Dave Clark ( Garage Manager, Hull) and his wife were going. I myself had to send my condolences, as I am still abroad until April. Cheers, Archie.
Jimmy Dewhurst was another Bowker man who went along with Snudge, Peter Davison, and Billy Howarth.
Peter told me that the pub they all went to afterwards smelt of diesel when they came out, there were many miles done over pint,
he said a few Hull lads turned up but he didn’t know them. There was no sign of Angus.
I went to work suited and booted but I could not get out. We had a big incident and I had a fair bit of work to do. Actualy a driver pulled off the loading bay with the motorised conveyer belt still inside the trailer and the two guys who were loading it what a mess. I was gutted not to be able to go but I was there in spirit. RIP Cliff
John McVey:
I’m sure this has been covered but without trawling through the whole thread why did MAT never have sleeper cabs?
John,
Bugger me, your just a week and a half too late with that question. The man that ran the transport and ordered those Scania’s has just passed away. He could have told you the complete story. Let’s just say he was a very good businessman.
But he certainly got his money out of them. And of course when he bought them there weren’t a lot of sleeper cabs out on the UK Market.
Cheers, Archie.
Ey up John
Cliff Leader and Dave Clark were instamental in buying the day cab Scanias. The tractor units would not exceed the permited length on any european roads. Dave Clarke said they would last 10 years and they were cheaper than sleeper cabs and it did not matter about having a resale value because they would never be sold. They had couchets fitted in them the earlier ones up to J reg had a full width bed with both the drivers and the passenger seat backs coming off, but the later ones could only have the passenger seat back removable and there was a cushion made for the drivers seat. This sounds a bit complicated but belive me they were comfortable and roomy. They also bought the Crusaders in day cab form and they had a similar set up. As time went on and the Scanias started to fall apart sleeper cabs were introduced and several of the old Scanias were converted to sleeper cabs. The problem with MAT was that they had no repacement policy for anything. The tilts we ran were a mix of brand new Pacton but on the other hand there were still some old Merryweathers in their. And when the superstructure became goosed they were stripped down to flats. Some of the skellys were very old. However MAT had a great service and repair system in place and all the gear was in good nick apart from some of the containers, these used to bend in the middle when you side loaded them and you had to lift them up before you loaded them with the fork lift and pack to chassis with bits of pallet so that the doors would close when it was full. This being said I would not have changed anything, working for MAT was one of the best jobs I have ever had.
John McVey:
I’m sure this has been covered but without trawling through the whole thread why did MAT never have sleeper cabs?
Around about the time MAT had the day cab Scanias I was at Feblands and inherited a 12 month old 141, my beloved DAF 310 dks having given up the ghost, I felt so sorry for you guys in those day cabs but it wouldn’t be long before I was sleeping across the bonnet of an Atkinson Borderer, “that’ll learn me”
hi Cliff,you’r correct about the scania day cabs,If my memory is right the overall length for the combination was 13.5 metres,and the trailers were 12 metres leaving very little for the tractor.MAT also ran a lot of foreign built trailers which had kingpins of 1.6 metres ,this is why the scanias were fitted with sliding fifth wheels.Some uk trailers had two king pins,at 1 metre and 1.6 metres and i recall the back pin came down between the run up ramps whilst John Hornsby was pulling it.
ps Do you remember Ray Elmes who ran the groupage in Hull,he sends his regards to you and Archie.
ricka:
hi Cliff,you’r correct about the scania day cabs,If my memory is right the overall length for the combination was 13.5 metres,and the trailers were 12 metres leaving very little for the tractor.MAT also ran a lot of foreign built trailers which had kingpins of 1.6 metres ,this is why the scanias were fitted with sliding fifth wheels.Some uk trailers had two king pins,at 1 metre and 1.6 metres and i recall the back pin came down between the run up ramps whilst John Hornsby was pulling it.
ps Do you remember Ray Elmes who ran the groupage in Hull,he sends his regards to you and Archie.
ricka
Hullo rick,
Thanks for that, of course it was the reason for keeping those non sleepers, you could be sure that there was a logic in their thinking, Plus it saved a lot of money, mind you when I was there we only had those 12 metre trailers, mostly J&M’s. I certainly do remember Ray and yourself too. Please give Ray my regards and of course the same to you. ( have you managed a haircut yet ?)
Cheers, Archie.
ricka:
hi Cliff,you’r correct about the scania day cabs,If my memory is right the overall length for the combination was 13.5 metres,and the trailers were 12 metres leaving very little for the tractor.MAT also ran a lot of foreign built trailers which had kingpins of 1.6 metres ,this is why the scanias were fitted with sliding fifth wheels.Some uk trailers had two king pins,at 1 metre and 1.6 metres and i recall the back pin came down between the run up ramps whilst John Hornsby was pulling it.
ps Do you remember Ray Elmes who ran the groupage in Hull,he sends his regards to you and Archie.
ricka
I do remember Ray. That guy was always nothing but top draw with me. I miss loads of the old boys and I would love a reunion if that was possible. You tell Ray that I wish him well and that this old ■■■■ put his notice in today and I now retire in 3 months. I am now looking for something to do for a couple of days a week to stop my brain from jelling.
Cliff
mat man:
Its all gone quiet on here.yes ray elmes good to work for.
You are right Matman it has gone quiet on this site considering how many people were involved with MAT throughout the country. I did know how many employees they had when I worked in MIFT but like loads of other things I have forgotten.
Cliff
All the weekends in zeebrugge i can not remember the names of the bars .go out 6 oopm saturday night get back to the truck 6 00 am sunday morning.that crap beer used to give you a right headaches.great days mat man.
